Harare, Muharram 19/Apr 13 (IINA) - Statistics indicate that there were 1.2 million Muslims in Zimbabwe before the advent of British colonialism in this country in 1888. But from then on their numbers have been declining, to the extent that there now are only 200,000 Muslims in the country, out of a total population of about ten million.

The majority of the Muslims live in the rural areas, where they till the land, and in mining areas. Those who are involved in business live mostly in towns and cities.

Zimbabwe’s Muslims have formed various types of Islamic organizations, and are keen in spreading the Islamic way of life and culture in various parts of the country. They have therefore set up Islamic schools, after they had obtained government permission, under which each group of 50 families is allowed to set up its own Islamic school. They also have the right to build mosques in those areas.

At the University of Zimbabwe a chair of Islamic and Arabic Studies has been set up. There are about 100 main mosques in Zimbabwe, plus hundreds of other smaller mosques, attached to each is a Qur’an teaching school.

It is reckoned that Islam came to Zimbabwe in the first century of the Hijri calendar, and Islamic civilization and culture prevailed in the country until the advent of British colonialism in 1888. The colonial administration persisted until Ian Smith made what was known as the unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) in 1965.

It is noteworthy that the British colonialists adopted a negative policy toward the Zimbabwean Muslims, and started to persecute them and deprive them of their possessions, including their agricultural holdings. They were then forced to work in mines, under very trying circumstances, simply because they resisted the colonialists and urged their compatriots also to do so.

However, despite all odds, the Muslims continued with the struggle, until eventually Zimbabwe gained its true independence.